Why did the Jets fire Joe Douglas? New York ousts GM due to poor record, Aaron Rodgers' struggles

The Jets are officially cleaning house.

New York fired general manager Joe Douglas on Thursday, SNY's Connor Hughes reported, 11 games into a tumultuous season that has fallen well short of expectations.

The Jets are 3-8 despite entering the year with legitimate playoff hopes. Coach Robert Saleh was already fired in October after a 1-4 start, and nothing — from the coaching change, to an offensive play-caller swap, to a trade for Davante Adams — has changed the franchise's luck. 

Douglas' contract was set to expire after the season, but the Jets chose to move on immediately as their season spirals further out of control.

Here's what you need to know about the Jets' decision to fire Douglas.

Why did the Jets fire Joe Douglas?

Douglas was already considered "unlikely to return" in 2025, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, so the Jets decided to make the move now rather than wait until the end of the season in January.

New York made numerous aggressive moves over the last two years, starting with the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers in 2023, but Douglas' track record was a mixed bag.

While his 2022 draft class including Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall has been widely praised, Douglas botched the decision to bring in Haason Reddick this past offseasn as a replacement for Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Myers. Reddick held out for the first seven weeks of the season, and the Jets' defense has taken a major step back after a strong 2023.

A poor offensive line and lack of a viable No. 2 quarterback also threw the Jets' 2023 season off the rails after Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles in Week 1.

Ultimately, the Jets' record was not a mixed bag. New York went 30-64 under Douglas, and owner Woody Johnson reached a breaking point after the Jets dropped to 3-8 this past weekend.

This story will be updated.